Bromley manager, Andy Woodman was pleased with his team’s 1-0 victory at Newport County amidst a “terrible” performance.
Corey Whitely netted a 88th-minute winner from a tame clearance to keep Bromley top of the League Two table, but Woodman in his post-match interview sarcastically lamented their poor overall performance which he partially put down to squad rotation.
“I can lie. I can be honest. We were terrible. I mean we were terrible. And look, were we terrible or were Newport fighting for their lives and they run their socks off and they made it tough for us and we just couldn’t get going.
“You know, we’ve had one or two problems coming into the game with players we’ve had to kind of really look after.”
Woodman however did praise Newport and their manager, Christian Fuchs for giving his team a test, but is proud of his players for their graft even when the game was against them before Whitely struck the winning goal.
“It’s been tricky, but credit to Newport and credit to the manager what he’s done here. He’s turned this team around and they I mean, listen, I don’t want to talk about them too much, but they really didn’t deserve to lose tonight.
“On the flip side, my team just keep going. Don’t they? I mean, they keep going. The keeper makes a big save at nil-nil, a big save, and it kind of gives everyone a lift.
“And then, Corey, I mean, we’ve seen him hit those many times and they’ve gone into car parks and into next week, but today’s one and it’s just gone in and I’m relieved and buzzing and sometimes you get your luck and sometimes you earn your luck by the graft you put in and these boys have put the graft in and I’m probably so chuffed for them.”
Woodman proceeded to add that results are more important than a team’s character as he reflected on the fact that sometimes a good team can get points amidst a bad performance.
“It’s all about the results, at this stage. I don’t think anyone will give two hoots about how we played except me. Um, and I got to say it’s a sign of a weirdly good team when you can play badly and get a result. And we did play badly.
“We can’t get away from that and we’ve got a result. And um, you know, I think Newport will be gutted about that.”
Whitely’s winner has kept the Ravens on course for promotion but Woodman felt that the bounce of his strike was awkward despite his struggle to see how the goal went in from the touchline, as he teased that he had set a new target after they achieved project 73 set out at the start of this season.
“Yeah, I mean he did strike it well and it I couldn’t exactly see how it went, but it looked like bounce just in front of the keeper. Horrible bounce. I might be wrong. I’m not really bothered.
“I’m just glad it went and it’s an important win for us, you know, and I’ve had a little chat with the boys today and I’ve given them a little I won’t tell them I won’t tell the little sort of meeting we had today, but I’ve given a little target today with a bit of banter.
“They’re on course for that. And I’m sure one or two of them will look at this now and laugh at that.”
Woodman also iterated that clean sheets are important to promotion as he praised Omar Sowunmi for another impressive defensive display, amidst some errors from Jesse Debrah who drew praise for sprinting out wide for the first times in a long period as they grinded out the win.
“Listen, clean sheets is what it’s all about. I’ve said it many times since I’ve been here. Last five years I’ve been here. Clean sheets getting promoted. I thought Omar again was brilliant. Um, big powerful defending.
I thought we went to a three, Jesse messes up. I mean he ain’t done running like that in the wide areas for a long time. He’s sprinted in the wide areas.
“Sometimes you got to grind out results and we’ve done that tonight and we’ve ground out a result against a team that you know I’m going to be honest you know they’ll be kicking themselves they haven’t won that.”
Some of Bromley’s best chances came from their substitutes which pleased Woodman, as the 54-year old explained his tactical approach with a change of shape and risk taking.
“Yeah we threw everything on. I mean we just literally I mean, the subs were just literally let’s just try and get this win somehow and if we don’t, at least we’ve gone for it and we went for it and sometimes you got to be brave and we changed shape and it was really against changing shape was really against what we should have done looking at the way their two wide men were.
“We kind of were setting ourselves up to get beat but we had to go for it and sometimes you get your rewards when you’re brave.”
Woodman added that grinding out results is a part of the club’s character under his reign and has urged his players to keep digging deep for results, as he acknowledged Fuchs for deploying a similar approach and expressed his confidence that Newport can get more wins to stay up.
“That’s what we did. It’s what we’ve done since I’ve been here. I think find a way and let’s hope we got eight more games and we just got to keep finding a way and like I say, I’m chuffed cos listen this team are going to beat a few.
“I’m telling you, you know, he’s got them running all over teams and fair play to him.”
Woodman is the third manager after Charles Juniper and John Biddle to guide Bromley to a 20-match unbeaten league run and joked that he is due a stand named in his honour, but feels that he now needs to set an out-right new record against Colchester United on Saturday 21 March.
“Do I get a stand named after me now? Still not yet. I’ve got to get one more to get a stand named after me.
“No I’m it’s lovely all that, but it doesn’t, you know, you know me. I just want to get this football club where I promise I’d get it. And once I can do that, I can walk away with my head up high and be proud of what I’ve done.”
Looking ahead to the home match against Colchester, Woodman continued his calm approach as he anticipates another challenging fixture in this run-in.
“Well, look, it’s Colchester is going to be tough game as we know. They’re all going to be tough. There’s no easy games and let’s get everyone down at the stadium on Saturday and hopefully we can get a little bit closer to the promised land.”
Leave a Reply